Chapter 38 Date in Hammerlocke
Ash and his friends are in Hammerlocke City since they are trying out the Battle Cafe's special activity and Alice wins a Sachet for her Spritzee. Ash helps her by having a mock trade, and now she has an Aromatisse.
"I want to know, do you want to look around this place right now, or we can wait until we get all 17 badges?" Ash asks.
Mark replies, "We can just do it right now, I mean, why not?"
Gloria asks, "So Ash, can you take me this time? You have taken Dawn, Lillie, Serena, and Alice out, and I have to be the one that hasn't."
The girls all look at each other and then Ash says, "Sure, why not? Let's go together this time."
As they bid farewell, Ash and Gloria are walking together in Hammerlocke City. Gloria looks around and says, "You know, this stadium is really big. I really hope we can see the whole view..."
"Then you don't need to worry about it." Ash says as he takes out his own Noivern. "Noivern, can you bring us to the sky?"
Noivern roars and Ash and Gloria are riding on its back. When they fly into the air, Gloria is in awe at the sight.
Ash asks Gloria, "How is it? The view of the Hammerlocke Stadium?"
"This city sure looks like a dragon... it is amazing." Gloria says.
After watching the view for a while, they land at the park as they notice a boy asking them. "Excuse me, have you heard about the rumor?"
"What rumor?" Gloria asks.
"What? You haven't heard? There's a rumor that if you give the one you like an Applin, you'll be together forever."
"Oh, we heard about that." Ash says.
"You see, there is someone I like. She's gonna move overseas pretty soon...I've been searching for an Applin so I can get my feelings across the right way. But I can't find one... If you find an Applin, can you give it to me?"
The two of them look at each other, Ash says, "You want us to give you an Applin...so you can give it to the one you like. But do you think that she will accept the Applin that was given rather than being captured by yourself?"
The boy is speechless, he mutters, "I don't know."
"It's fine, I have two Applin with me, I can lend you one of them." Ash says as he hands over the Applin to the boy.
As the boy goes to meet the girl, she says, "Sorry I'm late. What was it that you needed to talk about so suddenly?"
"I...Err...H-how's your packing going?" The boy asks.
"Pretty much everything is packed. Since I am moving away tomorrow..." The girl says with a little frown at the end.
"Yeah...H-hey, check out this Pokemon." He shows her the Applin and she is surprised, "Oh, an Applin! Amazing! Did you catch it?"
"W-well...N-no. Someone gave it to me..." The boy says. "I am sorry! I really wanted to give you an Applin that I caught on my own! But, well...Ah, just forget it! I can't give you this Applin."
"You're right. I can't take it." The girl says. "Even if we're separated and far away from each other...I'll still be waiting...for an Applin you caught yourself."
"Wait-do you mean?" The boy asks as the girl blushes a little. "Ah, um...I'll see you later." Then she runs off fast.
Ash and Gloria then go towards the boy and then the boy asks, "Say, what do you think that was about, just now? Do you think it meant that?"
"Yeah, she must have felt the same way, congratulations." Gloria says.
"Thank you, I can't believe it...Woo-hoo." The boy cheers, and then he says, "Right, well, I'd better give this Pokemon back to you."
Once Applin returns to Ash, he brings out two bags and says, "This bag contains the Tart Apple and the other one contains the Sweet Apple. I hope you like them."
Once Ash and Gloria take the bag, the boy bids them farewell as he rushes to find an Applin on his own.
Gloria says, "That was so romantic, right? Ash?"
Ash nods and says, "Gloria, what are you thinking?"
Gloria sighs and says, "To be honest, I was really jealous of how you and Alice were close and even those other girls we have traveled with it seems like they know you really well, but I didn't. I thought that if I won, I could at least gain your attention. But in the end, I start to ask myself if this is the right thing to do..."
Ash looks at Gloria and says, "Gloria. Some of the girls indeed know me well, and they also even loved me. But...I am sure that they will like to share with you as well."
"What?" Gloria asks. "You mean...you already have your own harem?"
"Yeah, but I want to know, do you agree to join my harem?" Ash asks with a smile.
Gloria nods and says, "You don't know how happy I can have your love. Sure I want to." Gloria says as she hugs him. Then Ash decides to give out the Orange Ketchum Gem to her, making her the fourth girl in the harem.
"And there are three left." Ash mutters.
"You haven't confessed the feelings for others yet?" Gloria asks.
"Only Dawn hasn't, but that also leaves two more." Ash says as he takes a bite of the Tart Apple. "Wow...this is really sour..."
Gloria takes a bite and she winces, "You're right...why did he give us the bag of Tart Apple?"
The Applin in Ash's hand rolls over to the apple and bites it, then much to their surprise, it starts to glow and evolve into a Flapple.
After that, Ash decides to give Gloria the Sweet Apple while Gloria gives Ash the Tart Apple they have gotten from the boy, they evolve their Pokemon in the end.
Flapple: The Apple Wing Pokemon: Grass and Dragon Type. Evolved from Applin when exposed to a Tart Apple. It ate a sour apple, and that induced its evolution. In its cheeks, it stores an acid capable of causing chemical burns.
"Oh, so they are meant to evolve Applin! That means the Sweet Apple..." Ash says as he sends out another Applin. The Pokemon bites another apple and evolves into Applin instead.
Appletun: The Apple Nectar Pokemon: Grass and Dragon Type. Evolved from Applin when exposed to a Sweet Apple. Eating a sweet apple caused its evolution. A nectarous scent wafts from its body, luring in the bug Pokémon it preys on.
"I'll leave one apple each for Alice to pick for her Applin." Ash says.
"That's great. This sure is the best day." Gloria says.
"No problem. Let's go to a restaurant, I want to hear about anything when we are having our date." Ash says as he smirks.
In the restaurant, they are talking about the Dragon Types, Gloria tells him about how his brother caught a Flygon back in the Dusty Bowl and Ash also tells her about the Axew and his evolution. And then they talk about Turtonator and Drampa.
"So Turtonator and Drampa are sorts of counterparts? How is that possible?" Gloria asks.
"I don't know." Ash says. "But my friend has a Turtonator and believe me, I don't remember how many times I have been burned with the Shell Trap."
Then they all see the news of how Raihan is facing Leon using his Gigantamax Duraludon, Gloria sighs, "There aren't many people who manage to face Brother...and with his own fan base and how he keeps updates Poketube Videos, he rarely comes back home..."
"I am sorry to hear that." Ash says.
"No problem, my brother is also strong, considering that he manages to use the weather to his advantage." Gloria says. "On sunny days, he will use Turtonator, in cloudy, he uses Hydreigon, in rainy, he uses Goodra, in the sandstorm, it will be Flygon, and in the blizzard, it will be Hakamo-o, and in the Fog, he will be using Dragapult. And he will randomly choose the weather and eventually, he will be using his Gigantamax Duraludon."
"I see...that is really cool." Ash says.
Then after the meal is done, they go for more sightseeing until they decide to go back to the hotel where everyone is.
"Hey, Ash, Gloria, how are your date?" Lillie asks.
"Awesome. How about you guys?" Gloria asks.
"I found another one of the Fossil." Alice shows the necklace as it gains another fossil. "This is the Fossilized Drake. And now I need two more."
"By the way, I have got a Tart Apple and a Sweet Apple. What do you want your Applin to evolve into?" Ash asks.
"I'll let Applin decide." Alice says as she lets her Applin out, and much to their surprise, it chooses Sweet Apple and evolves into Applin.
"I guess the Tart Apple is a no-go." Ash sighs. "And it is extremely sour as well."
Trenor says, "Hold on, where is Dawn?"
They realize Dawn isn't with them, so they decide to find her, only to see her standing in front of a girl, who is asking her, "H-hello there...You look like someone I might trust...You see, there's someone I fancy and I...I...I've written him a love letter! Do you think you might deliver it for me?"
"Sure." Dawn is a little confused, and the girl says, "Oh, thank you! Thank you! I'm so glad to found someone like you to help me! My name is Paula. Here you are. This is the letter I want you to deliver!"
She hands over the Old Letter, and she says, "Deliver it to Frank for me, won't you? Frank in Ballonlea. That's who you want."
"There you are, Dawn!" Ash says, and Dawn turns around and faces them. Gloria asks, "What are you doing?"
"I was just asked by a girl to send a letter." Dawn says.
"A girl? I don't see a girl..." Mark says.
"Me neither. I thought you were talking to a wall?" Alice asks.
Dawn starts to shiver and she looks at the letter. "Don't tell me it is a ghost..."
"Ghost? But it isn't nighttime..." Serena says with shivers as well.
Ash says, "What is that on your hand?"
"It is an old letter, the girl I was talking to wants me to send a letter to a person named Frank in Ballonlea." Dawn says.
"Ballonlea is where our 11th gym is located. So I don't think we'll be getting there yet." Trenor says.
"Anyway, let's take a rest so we can head towards Stow-on-Side." Ash says as they go to the hotel.
Here is a new chapter, and Gloria has now joined the harem. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be in Route 6.
Ash's New Pokemon: Thwackey, Greedent, Corvisquire, Orbeetle, Thiveul, Eldegoss, Dubwool, Drednaw, Boltund, Carkol, Flapple, Appletun, Barraskewda, Toxtricity (Amped/Low Key), Centiskorch, Hattena, Impidimp, Linoone (G), Perserker, Sirfetch'd, Alcremie x63, Cufant, Koffing, Stunfisk (G)
Mark's Pokemon: Blaziken, Gyarados, Skorupi, Ninjask, Shedinja, Pawniard, Barraskewda, Orbeetle, Delibird, Alcremie (Strawberry, Ruby Cream)
Trenor's Pokemon: Greedent, Vileplume, Swampert, Rhyhorn, Gourgeist, Steelix, Basculin, Noibat
Alice's Pokemon: Wooloo x29, Dubwool, Salandit, Trapinch, Lunatone, Butterfree (Pink), Litwick, Centiskorch, Drizzile, Eldegoss, Pikachu, Glaceon, Applin, Impidimp, Aromatisse
Gloria's Pokemon: Cinccino, Gurdurr, Tranquill, Drednaw, Dwebble, Cufant, Raboot, Wimpod, Ferroseed, Jolteon, Woobat, Axew, Liepard, Gardevoir
Dawn's Pokemon: Lopunny, Noctowl, Mudbray, Binacle, Duskull, Piplup, Quilava, Pelipper, Bellossom, Pachirisu, Wobbuffet, Mamoswine, Vullaby, Togekiss
Serena's Pokemon: Diggersby, Pancham, Drifblim, Roserade, Solrock, Vespiquen, Drilbur, Braixen, Steenee, Chinchou, Nuzleaf, Sylveon
Lillie's Pokemon: Eevee, Hitmonchan, Rufflet, Shuckle, Ribombee, Gengar, Magearna, Cloyster, Boltund, Cherrim, Meowstic, Vulpix (A)